1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an electronic still camera and an image signal processing apparatus, and more particularly to an electronic still camera which uses a memory card, and an image signal processing apparatus which comprises a laptop computer which uses the electronic still camera and the memory card, a personal data terminal (PDA), and a host computer such as an electronic notebook.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 49 illustrates an electronic still camera using a conventional memory card, and a laptop computer using the memory card. As shown in FIG. 49, a card slot 2 is formed in the electronic still camera 1. In order to take a picture using the electronic still camera 1, a memory card 3 is inserted into the card slot 2, and image data captured during photographing are recorded in the memory card 3.
In order to store the image data recorded in the memory card in an image file in a laptop computer 4, the memory card 3 is removed from the electronic still camera 1, and the memory card 3 is inserted into the card slot 5 of the laptop computer 4.
In the above-described conventional system, however, the memory card 3 is inserted into the electronic still camera 1 during photographing, and in order to transfer the image data recorded in the memory card 3 to the laptop computer 4, the memory card 3 must be drawn out from the electronic still camera 1 and inserted into the laptop computer 4. During photographing using the electronic still camera 1, the number of photographing is restricted by the capacity of a power source in the camera and the recording capacity of the memory card.
Japanese Patent Provisional Publication Nos. 7-312716, 7-322117 and 8-9215 disclose an electronic still camera which can be used in the same manner as the PC card in which the size and the shape of the connector are standardized. That is, the electronic still camera is composed of a PC card part and image input device. The PC card part is inserted into the card slot of an external information processing unit such as a laptop computer, so that the external information processing equipment can monitor the camera in real time and the external information processing equipment can have access to an image memory in the camera.
The PC card section of the electronic still camera has the same thickness as the PC card, but the image input device including the taking lens is bulky, and the camera as a whole is larger than the PC card.
Thus, the camera is not well-balanced, and it is inconvenient for carrying in a state for being inserted into the external information processing equipment.
It is an object of the present invention to provide the image signal processing apparatus which is able to alleviate the trouble of inserting and drawing a memory card during photographing or when image data are transferred to a host computer such as a laptop computer, and which is able to supply electricity from the host computer to a camera body and control the system of the camera body.
It is another object of the present invention to provide the electronic still camera which a small memory card is easily attached to and detached from, and which is able to select the appearance of the camera and an operation system such as a shutter release button to a user""s desire, and which is able to make the camera body smaller.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide the electronic still camera which has a power source of a battery in the camera body that is flat and thin, so that the camera as a whole can be the same size as a PC card.
According to the present invention, an image signal processing apparatus which comprises a camera body, a memory card which is inserted into and drawn out from the camera body, and a host computer which transmits and receives image data to and from the memory card, is characterized in that: the memory card has two connectors which are connected to the camera body and the host computer, the memory card being constructed in such a way that the two connectors can be simultaneously mounted in the camera body and the host computer; the camera body has means for detecting the state of the first connection where only the memory card is connected, and the state of the second connection where only the host computer is connected via the memory card; if detecting the first connection, the camera body supplies a power source to the memory card and turns into a normal mode for executing a normal photographing sequence of recording image data captured during photographing in the memory card, and if detecting the second connection, the camera body receives a power source from the host computer via the memory card and a photographing command including a shutter release instruction and enters a host computer remote mode for photographing; and the host has a function of executing an image transfer/regenerate sequence between the host computer and an image memory in the memory card, and a function of supplying a power source from the host computer to the camera body via the memory card and transmitting a photographing command including the shutter release instruction. According to the present invention, if the memory card only is inserted into the camera body, a normal camera sequence is executed, and if the memory card only is inserted into the host computer, a normal image transfer/regenerate sequence is executed. When both the camera body and the host computer are connected via the memory card, the camera body turns into a host computer remote mode to be controlled by the host computer. During the host computer remote mode, the power source can be supplied to the camera body and the memory card from the host computer.
According to the present invention, an electronic still camera which comprises an image pickup unit and an IC card capable of being attached to and detached from the image pickup unit; is characterized in that: the image pickup unit includes a taking lens, an image pickup element, and the first connector which the IC card is attached to and detached from, the image pickup unit transmitting a signal representing an object image obtained through the taking lens and the image pickup element to the IC card attached to the first connector; and the IC card comprises the second connector provided at one short side of the IC card and connected to the first connector, signal processing means for processing a signal representing the object image, the third connector provided at the other short side of the IC card and transferring image data stored in a small memory card to external apparatus to which the IC card is attached, the fourth connector to which the small memory card is attached to and detached from, and a card slot at a long side of the IC card where the second and third connectors are not provided, the small memory card being inserted into said card slot.
According to the present invention, the card slot which has the fourth connector is provided at the long side of the IC card where the third connector is not provided, or there is provided a card housing part which has the fourth connector on the surface of the IC card, so that the small memory card can be easily attached and detached.
According to another mode of the present invention, an electronic still camera which composes a camera body and a camera casing which is mounted in a manner which partially or fully covers the camera body and is able to change an appearance of a camera, is characterized in that: the camera casing includes at least a taking lens, an image pickup element, a finder, operation means including a shutter release button, and the first connector outputting an image signal captured through the taking lens and the image pickup element and an operation signal from the operation means; and the camera body includes at least the second connector connected to the first connector when being mounted in the camera casing, signal processing means for processing the image signal, and control means for recording an image signal in a recording medium, the signal processing means processing the image signal on receipt of the operation signal from the operation means.
According to the present invention, the camera casing which suits the user""s taste is attached to a camera body, thereby modifying the appearance of the camera according to the user""s age, taste and feeling. The operation system such as the shutter release button and the grip, etc. can be easily handled by all people of all ages.
According to another mode of the present invention, a digital camera which loads, in an image pickup unit, a card unit corresponding to a PC card standard, converts an object image into image data by image pickup means of the image pickup unit, and records the image data into a memory of the card unit, is characterized in that: when the card unit is loaded in the image pickup unit, the card unit is partially exposed from the image pickup unit, and a switch necessary for photographing is provided at the exposed portion of the card unit.
According to the present invention, a switch necessary for photographing is arranged in order to be seen from the image pickup unit of the card unit, thereby eliminating a necessity to provide a switch in the image pickup unit. Thus, the image pickup unit and the camera as a whole can be small in size.
According to another mode of the present invention, a card-sized electronic still camera which records, in a recording medium in a camera, an image signal representing an object image captured through a taking lens and an image pickup element, is characterized in that: a casing is formed so that an external surface of the camera can be flat and the camera can be thin, a camera board shaped like the casing and a sheet battery are provided in the casing.
According to another mode of the present invention, a card-sized electronic still camera which records, in a recording medium in a camera body, image data representing an object image captured through a taking lens and an image pickup element when shutter is released, is characterized in that: the camera body is shaped like a PC card inserted into a PC card slot of a personal computer, the camera body being inserted into said PC card slot, thereby transmitting image data to the personal computer; and the taking lens is arranged in such a way that an optical axis thereof turns in a direction of depth of the camera body, the taking lens being capable of projecting from and retracting into the camera body in order to secure an optical path length for photographing. According to the present invention, the taking lens is arranged in the camera body shaped like a PC card so that the optical axis thereof can turn in the direction of depth of the camera body. The taking lens can rising from and retract into the camera body to secure the optical path length for photographing. For this reason, if the taking lens is hidden in the camera body, the camera as a whole is the card-sized, and if the taking lens rises from the camera body, the photographing becomes possible.
According to another mode of the present invention, an electronic still camera comprises: a card-sized body formed in a manner to be inserted into a card slot of external information processing apparatus such as a personal computer provided with a connector at a slot thereof, the body being provided with a connector at a case thereof, the connector being capable of connecting to the connector provided at the slot; an electronic circuit board built in said body and provided with an image pickup element, an image processing circuit, an image memory, or the like; and a front board provided with a taking lens and attached to the body in a manner to be folded, the taking lens projecting from the body to enable photographing, the front board being folded into the body so as to house the body in the card slot when the body is inserted into the external information processing apparatus.
According to the present invention, the front plate provided with the taking lens projects from the card-sized body during photographing, thereby enabling photographing. When the camera is inserted into the card slot of the personal computer, etc., the front plate is folded into the body. Thus, the card-sized electronic still camera of the present invention is convenient for carrying even in a state of being inserted into the card slot of the personal computer, etc. Moreover, there is no projection in the camera, and thus the photographing can be performed without any trouble.
According to another mode of the present invention, an electronic still camera comprises: a card-sized body formed in a manner to be inserted into a card slot of external information processing apparatus such as a personal computer provided with a connector at a slot thereof, the body provided with a connector at a case, the connector being capable of connecting to the connector at the slot; and which is characterized in that: a taking lens, a finder and an operation button are provided in the body, and an image pickup unit, an image processing circuit, an image memory, etc. are built in the main body; and the finder or the taking lens composes the card-sized body in a folded state, and projects from the body in the folded state to be used for photographing.
According to the present invention, the finder or the taking lens projects from the body in a state of being folded from the card-sized body, thereby enabling photographing. If, however, the camera is inserted into the card slot of the personal computer, etc. or if the camera is carried, the finder or the taking lens is folded into the body so that the camera can be card-sized. Thus, the card-sized electronic still camera of the present invention is easy to carry even in a state of being inserted into the card slot of the personal computer, etc. Moreover, since the camera has no projection and can be well-balanced, the photographing can be performed without any trouble.
According to another mode of the present invention, an electronic still camera which records, in a recording medium in a camera body, image data indicating an object image obtained through a taking lens and an image pickup element on release of a shutter; is characterized in that: the camera body is composed of the first plate portion provided with the taking lens and the second plate portion provided with the image pickup element, the camera body being shaped like a PC card inserted into a PC card slot of a personal computer, in such a way that an optical axis of the camera body turns in a direction of depth of the camera body, the first plate portion is connected to the second plate portion via a hinge member in a manner to be folded; and the camera body is inserted into a PC card slot, thereby transmitting image data to the personal computer, and the first plate portion and the second plate portion of the camera body are folded so that the taking lens can overlap the image pickup element, thereby enabling photographing and securing an optical path length for photographing.
According to the present invention, the PC card-sized camera body is composed of the first and second plate portions which are connected via a hinge member. When the camera is folded, the taking lens overlaps the image pickup element to form the photographing optical path. When the body is not folded, the camera as a whole is card-sized, and when the first and second plate portions are folded, the body functions as the camera. Since the first plate portion provided with the taking lens overlaps the second plate portion provided with the image pickup element, thereby securing the optical path length for photographing even if the optical axis of the taking lens turns in the direction of depth of the body.
According to another mode of the present invention, an electronic still camera comprises: a lens unit provided with a taking lens, an optical axis of the taking lens being arranged in a direction of depth of the camera; a camera body unit provided with an image pickup element, an image processing circuit, etc. and shaped like a PC card, the lens unit being detachably provided in the camera body unit; and is characterized in that the camera body unit is inserted into external information processing apparatus such as a personal computer, thereby transmitting image data to the external information processing apparatus, and the lens unit is mounted in the camera body unit so as to enable photographing.
According to the present invention, the lens unit, in which the taking lens is arranged in such a way that the optical axis can turn in the direction of depth of the camera, is detachably mounted in the PC card-sized camera body unit which is provided with the image pickup element, the image processing circuit, etc. When the image data are transmitted to the external information processing apparatus, the camera body unit only is inserted into the card slot of the external information processing apparatus. In order to take a picture, the lens unit is mounted in the camera body unit so that the camera can function. During photographing, the lens unit overlaps the surface of the camera body unit, thus securing the long optical path length for photographing. In addition, since the lens unit is detachably provided in the camera body unit, the camera can be convenient for carrying.
Furthermore, the lens unit is shaped like the camera body unit, and thus, the camera can be well-balanced during photographing and can be convenient for carrying.